Vaping Trends and Concerns

Vaping devices are everywhere – at gas stations, convenience stores, and in the hands of teenagers – yet most people know surprisingly little about what is actually inside them or how they affect the body. In this free community class, Alex Sirotzki, public health educator with the Washington Poison Center, breaks down common vaping devices, what nicotine and THC do in the body, current Washington Poison Center case trends, and the nuanced question of whether vaping is actually safer than smoking. Hosted by Kristina Wigren of Stilly Valley Health Connections, this class is part of the free substance use education and prevention programming offered through SVHC – explore more in our free class recordings library.

What’s covered in this class:

• The Washington Poison Center and why they are the right source on this topic – a free, confidential, 24/7 helpline (1-800-222-1222) for both poison emergencies and general questions that kept 93% of Washington callers at home without an ER visit in 2024, with interpretation services available for non-English speakers
• What vaping actually produces and the main device types – vapes are battery-operated devices that heat a substance and release an aerosol of oil particles (not water vapor) that can penetrate the lungs more deeply than cigarette smoke; device types range from early e-cigarettes and refillable vape pens to high-powered box mods and disposable salt-based devices, most of which are not FDA approved; the shift from freebase to salt-based nicotine (pioneered by Juul) is what enabled higher concentrations in smaller, more discreet products
• How nicotine works in the body, the addiction cycle, and what WPC data shows – low doses act as a stimulant producing dopamine release, short-term stress relief, improved focus, and appetite suppression while high doses can flip to depressant effects including slowed heart rate, lethargy, and breathing difficulty; continued use causes the brain to generate more nicotine receptors, deepening dependence and altering learning, stress response, and impulse control; of 493 nicotine cases reported to WPC in 2024, the majority involved young children getting into products not stored safely, with a growing share now involving vape liquid, which absorbs through the cheeks and gums even if a child spits it out; nicotine replacement therapy combined with cessation counseling is discussed as an effective treatment path, with a note that adolescent brains are especially vulnerable because development continues until around age 25
• Cannabis vaping – THC basics, acute effects, and the adolescent risk – THC acts on the endocannabinoid system and can produce effects ranging from euphoria and relaxation to anxiety, panic attacks, impaired memory and coordination, and at high doses acute psychosis symptoms; dry flower in Washington’s legal market averages around 20% THC while concentrates can exceed 90%; newer research links high-dose THC use with an increased risk of developing a psychotic disorder, with heavy or daily users and those who started young at greatest risk; because cannabis is stored in fatty tissue, withdrawal symptoms including sleep disruption, irritability, and anxiety can take weeks or over a month to surface in heavy users
• Is vaping safer than smoking? – fully switching from cigarettes to vaping is generally considered less harmful than continuing to smoke, but safer does not mean safe; vape aerosol can carry heavy metals leached from device components, flavoring compounds linked to lung damage (including diacetyl, associated with popcorn lung), and formaldehyde released from heated propylene glycol; and because adolescents are now more likely to vape than to smoke, these products are pulling a new generation into nicotine and cannabis use who might not have otherwise